


Beach Days and Underwater Nights

by Marvelgirl1701



Series: Zutara Week 2017 [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Day At The Beach, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Kissing, Romance, Toph's Teasing, Underwater, Zutara Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 23:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11610981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marvelgirl1701/pseuds/Marvelgirl1701
Summary: One always hears the saying of the calm before the storm, but what of afterwards? What happens then, after the final battle? A beach party of course! Join the Gaang at the beach and witness Zuko and Katara’s blooming relationship. Day two of Zutara Week: Underwater





	Beach Days and Underwater Nights

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had another fic planned and ready to post yesterday, but reading back on it, it was too angsty. So, I decided to scrap it and have this lovely fic instead! Though I'm mentally hitting myself for missing the day, I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Glimmering waves reach out to the sand then pull back again, teasing the land in an eternal dance of push and pull. The sun, high in the sky, sends its rays down to the sea, sparkling on the moving water. To anyone, the beach seems like a land of paradise, a gift from Tui and La.

But Zuko isn’t just anyone. His scowl seems greatly out of place with the laughter and screams of his fellow companions as they rush out to the water. Plopping down on his towel underneath the umbrella, he crosses his arms, clearly unhappy to be there. However, today was unlike the last time his friends decided on the beach day, where there was the impending battle overhead, a stirring restlessness of fear and anticipation making him jumpy and unable to relax. And before that, the bitterness of his betrayal to his uncle made even having Mai beside him to share in his unhappiness didn’t make the beach day any better. But now, with the sweet taste of victory lingering in his mouth, Zuko wants to make the best of his new found freedom before his coronation as Firelord. 

Unfortunately, Zuko’s idea of a good time doesn’t include sitting under the beating sun, splashing in some frigid water.  _ Honestly, what the appeal?  _ Memories of being trapped under a thick sheet of ice, frantically trying to melt the layer before his lungs burst or he froze to death fill his mind. He shudders involuntarily, his body subconsciously heating his skin.

Katara’s giddy laughter snaps Zuko out of his memories and his scowl twitches as he watches her bend some cool water over her brother, causing him to scream like a little girl. He silently appreciates her lithe form, dark skin a beautiful contrast against her white wrappings covering her curves.

“Katara, the water’s cold!” Sokka screams, cowering behind Suki, getting her thoroughly soaked in the process.

Suki frowns, a fierce look overcoming her features, reminding Sokka of the warrior she is. Sokka’s eyes widen comically as she flips behind him and picks him up. Ignoring his flailing limbs, she chucks him into the ocean. Sokka falls flat on his face, causing everyone to burst out laughing. Even Zuko can’t hid his grin. Katara’s eyes move from her brother’s pathetic form to Zuko lounging on the beach.

“Come on in,” she calls, a tan hand on her white wrapping-covered hip. “The water feels great!”

“Lies,” Sokka yells. “It’s  _ freezing _ !”

“Shut it, you big baby,” Toph counters, toes wiggling in the wet sand as she carefully approaches the waves. “Even I’m okay with the water and I can’t swim.”

Katara looks back expectantly at Zuko and his stomach twists. He knows he won’t be able to say no to those big, blue eyes for now.  _ I could just say my chest is bothering me… _ Zuko thinks, glancing down at the star-shaped scar that marks his pale body. He decides against it, thinking it unhonorable. He’s about to finally give in when Aang plops down from the sky with a whoosh, sending sand flying everywhere. Zuko spits out sand and gives Aang a murderous look that the Avatar replies with an apologetic expression. 

“Hey guys, look what I found,” he says gleefully, holding up a bag of red-plastic balls. “It must be some sort of game.”

Seeing an opportunity to get his friends out of the water, Zuko lets are rare-smile fall on his face.

“It’s called Fireball. Azula, Lu Ten, Uncle and I used to play as kids.”

He fondly recalls his Uncle always getting out first and Lu Ten fiercely trying to hit his cousins in playful revenge.

“Usually, we set the balls on fire, but we can play without it. And to be fair, we each can use our elements on our respective side, Aang only using his airbending and Suki and Sokka can use a weapon of their choice. These balls can nearly withstand anything.”

His friends gather around as Zuko explains the game.

“There are two teams in two areas divided by a line they cannot cross and each try to hit the other team with the balls. If you get hit, you’re out. If you catch an enemy's ball, they’re out. Last one standing wins for their team.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Suki reasons. “So, how are we going to form teams?”

“I’m with Suki!” Sokka says immediately, clutching at his girlfriend’s arm like a child.

“Actually, I think it will be best to split you two up,” Toph reasons, ignoring Sokka’s sound of protest. “We don’t want any power couples and you guys work well together.”

Zuko rolls his eyes.  _ Toph’s going soft for not telling them they would be at a slight disadvantage since we’ll be using our elements.  _ Still, Sokka grins a little at the compliment and Toph just smirks, turning towards Aang.

“That means you can’t be with Sugar Queen either,” she says, point towards the young Avatar.

For an odd reason, Zuko feels his inner fire flare slightly at the implication that Aang and Katara would be considered a “power couple” before quickly channeling it down.  _ What is wrong with me? _ Unfortunately for him, Toph feels his discomfort and her smirk turns into a full-blown grin at his jealousy.

“Don’t get your panties in a twirl, Sparky!” Toph quips, causing Zuko to growl at the expression. “You’ll have her on your team. Twinkletoes here needs to have Sugar Queen on the opposite side, or else he would just be protecting her all the time. Sweetness doesn’t need anyone's protection; ain’t that right, Sweetness?”

Katara nods with a smile, touched at Toph words. However, Zuko narrows his eyes at the blind bandit. He senses that the notorious child con artist might be scheming something and Toph’s schemes never seem to end well. 

“In that case, Katara, Zuko and I will be on one team,” Suki says, stepping towards her friends. “Team name?”

Zuko shrugs and Katara ponders for a moment before shrugging too.

“How about Team  _ Loser _ cause that’s what you’re gonna do!  _ Lose! _ Ha!” Sokka calls as his own team huddles around him.

Katara crosses her arms and Zuko rolls his eyes.

“ _ Very _ clever Sokka,” he says sarcastically. “And what  _ genius _ name did you come up with for your team?”

Sokka puffs out his chest.

“We are Team  _ Boomeraang _ ,” he yells, magically holding out his boomerang from who knows where. “Cause we always come right back at ya!”

Aang coughs.

“Oh, and Aang’s name is in it, too!”

Toph just snorts, hands up in the air to signal she had no part in the name choosing process.

“I have an idea for our team,” Katara murmurs quietly, eyes holding a competitive glint. “How about Team...  _ Sokka can Suck it _ .”

A stunned silence follows. Katara’s face blooms red for saying something so  _ crude _ and wraps her arms around herself self-consciously. But, thankfully, she is rewarded by a full-blown laugh from Toph (“Never thought you had it in you, Sugar Queen!”) and girlish giggles from Suki. Katara revels in Sokka’s bugged out eyes and red cheeks and Aang’s absolutely flabbergasted expression. Her favorite, however, is when she meets eyes with Zuko. Unable to hold it in any longer, he bursts out laughing, a gleeful, almost childlike sound that she can’t help but laugh along with him.  _ Totally worth it _ . 

“Team  _ Sokka can Suck it _ it is!” Suki says gleefully.

After a brief intermission of setting up the balls in the center of the line courtesy of Toph, Team  _ Sokka can Suck it _ and Team  _ Boomeraang _ stare each other down. Suki meets Toph’s unseeing gaze and gets into a running position, ready to sprint as soon as the next sea-hawk crow and hand on the fan hooked to her belt. Toph simply remains in her earthbending stance. The water tribe siblings stare each other down, Sokka determined to show how much he certainly doesn’t  _ suck _ , and Katara holding onto the clip of her water skin. Past enemies, the Avatar and the Fire Prince mirror their stances, similar, yet oh so different to one another. 

Then the sea-hawk crows and all hell breaks loose.

Sokka lets out a battle cry, heading straight for the balls, Aang following him, using his airbending to arrive first. Toph stands behind, acting as defense. Zuko, never one to stand down, runs to the line, too, dodging the ball Aang throws and gathering a bunch of his own. He brings back some red balls for his team members who stand a far, able to dodge any balls that are thrown their way. Taking a ball from Zuko, Katara uses a water whip to hurl the ball towards Sokka, an attack nearly gets hit with it weren’t for the wall of rock Toph quickly puts up. Sokka and Toph both stick their tongues out, causing Katara fume, sending a few more balls their way.

“We need a strategy!” Suki calls from the left, quickly flipping over a few balls and chucking some back.

“We need to get rid of Toph! She’s what keeping everyone from getting hit,” Zuko yells back, uncaring that the opposing side can hear their schemes. 

“Try to catch a ball she sends our way,” Katara murmurs quietly to Zuko and he nods, passing on the information to Suki.

And so, Team  _ Sokka can Suck it _ flawlessly dodge the speed balls Aang sends with a blast and begins to relentlessly chuck the dodgeballs at Toph, Katara with a whip, Zuko with a flaming fist and Suki with a fan. Starting to get annoyed at being targeted at, Toph quickly switches from defense to offense, sending red balls flying with bats of rocks. One whizzes by Zuko’s ear and he swears to smell smoke trailing off of it.  _ She’s throwing them too hard! We can’t catch them at this rate. _ Zuko thinks with a frown. Unfortunately, before he is able to tell his team members to abandon their plan, Suki rushes into Toph’s line of fire. Her arms outstretched, she tries to catch the ball Toph sends her way, but instead, gets hit from a loud slap in the chest, the ball flying out of her hands.

The first team member of  _ Sokka can Suck it _ is out. 

“Suki!” Sokka cries mournfully. “We will avenge you!”

A rock hits the side of his head, causing Sokka to cry out in unexpected pain. Toph snorts.

“She’s on the other team, Snoozles!”

Suki brushes off her green garb and walks to the sidelines, sulking slightly with a frown at being the first out. Katara barely dodges another one of Toph’s fast balls, before speaking.

“Are you wounded?”

“Only my pride,” Suki replies with a small smile, finding a towel to lounge on to watch the game. 

Katara smiles back and Zuko isn’t the only one to notice her distraction. Sokka sends a spiraling ball her way, his tongue sticking out in concentration.  _ Oh no you don’t! _ Time seems to slow, his bare feet sending hot sand flying behind him as he rushes in front of Katara. The ball is moving too fast, faster than his feet can carry him so he leaps instead, body in front of hers as the ball slams into him. Clutching the ball to his chest, he winces as it strikes his scar on his chest, but pays in no mind. He flips around, landing unharmed on his feet and he smirks, realizing he not only saved his team member, but also effectively got Sokka out.

Sokka’s eyes widen in surprise and Zuko grins triumphantly. He glances at Katara and expression falls. Her eyes are wide, misty as if reliving some memory. Then, her face hardens. The balls at her feet are scooped up by a tentacle of water and she surrounds herself with it. Sokka darts away to the sidelines, leaving Aang and Toph to face the watertribe girl’s wrath. With deadly speed, Katara shoots out the red balls high into the air, surrounding herself with an ice shield to block Toph’s attack.

“This is for Zuko!” she yells fiercely.

“Uh, Katara…” Zuko begins, but quickly stops as Toph chucks a fell balls in his direction.

Katara pays Zuko no mind, blind in her own revenge. She just continues sending balls high up in the air. Zuko squints his eyes, pondering her reason as he dodges. Then, one of the walls of rock falls down and he takes a glance at Toph’s concentrated and slightly annoyed expression and understands.  _ She can’t see the balls when they are in the air and no sound to signal them to her! _ Suddenly, a red ball from the sky plops down right on Toph’s head. Sokka, Aang and Suki gasps in shock as Katara just smiles victoriously. Zuko takes advantage of Aang’s frozen state to hurl a ball right at his arrow. Aang winces as it collides with his head. Katara quickly turns around, surprised to see Zuko standing behind her. He shrugs with a twinkle in his golden eyes.

“I wasn’t out. I caught the ball.”

Her mouth forms a silent  _ o _ and her cheeks color. Before she can say anything, however, Suki runs over to them, jumping up and down.

“Team  _ Sokka can Suck it _ wins! Suck it Sokka!” she calls out playfully.

Sokka runs over to her with an over exaggerated frown.

“Hey, at least I didn’t get out first!”

Suki’s eyes narrow.

“What did I say about getting on my bad side?”

Zuko walks over, wincing out an apology to Aang and more specifically, the red welt on top his head. Aang laughs it off.

Toph punches Katara in the arm, hard.

“Good job out there, Sugar Queen!” Toph grins. “You beat me fair and square.”

An evil grin creeps on the blind bandit’s features.

“Try not to get too upset about your boyfriend next time though.”

“HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!”

An awkward silence follows as the others overhear her loud outburst and Katara feels a flush run up from her chest to the very tips of her ears. She solves the awkwardness the best she knows how, quickly bending cold sea water on all her friends. They all cry out in protest.

“I’m going to get you for that, Sugar Queen!” Toph yells, running after her and bending wet sand from the ocean and to pelt Katara with.

Zuko smiles at the chaotic scene in front of him, steam wafting off his body as he dries the cool water off of him.  _ If I’m not getting in the water, might as well start on the dinner _ .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the sun begins to set, Zuko holds out a pile of towels, handing them over to his friend’s shivering forms and lets his inner fire spread heat outwards to warm them.

“I wish we had a firebender to keep us warm in the South Pole!” Katara smiles, clutching the heated towel around her form contently.

Zuko smiles affectionately in response and Katara removes a hand from her warm cocoon to ruffle his silky hair playfully. 

“You sure you can’t come to the South Pole,  _ your highness _ ?”

“For you, I would,” Zuko says without thinking.

He blinks, registering Katara’s heated cheeks and the words he just uttered.

“Uh, I mean, no! I’m going to be Firelord for Agni’s sake,” he yells immediately, then once more regrets what he’s saying. “Not that I wouldn’t want to. I would love to keep you warm all night. And day. Just all the time. But like in a totally platonic way…”

Zuko wonders if it’s too late now to drown himself in the ocean.

“Oh, I’m sure Sparky can keep you warm  _ all night _ , Sugar Queen!” Toph yells behind her.

_ Yep, going to run into the ocean now _ . Katara’s arm stops him and she smiles almost shyly.

“Thank you, Zuko.”

Zuko, soon to be Firelord of the most powerful nation in the world,  _ blushes _ . To be simply thanked by the girl in blue sends his heart fluttering and colors his pale cheeks.  _ Katara is going to be the end of me _ .

He runs away before he does anything stupid like kiss her or something just because she said  _ thank you _ , and into the house to the dinner he prepared.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Turns out a beach day can be very draining. Toph goes out first.

“Night!” she says after finishing her plate, trudging to her room tiredly, everyone responding  _ good night _ back in unison.

Right after Sokka finishes eating three portions ( _ Agni, how does the kid remain so lanky? _ ) he yawns loudly, calling good night to his friends and going to his room. After a few moments, Suki yawns as well (though it sounded a little fake) and departed from the dining room as well, not even hiding the fact that she darts into her boyfriend’s room. Zuko just rolls his eyes.

Aang can barely keep his eyes open and with Katara’s coaxing, goes to his room as well. Then there were two, Katara and Zuko sipping some bracing tea Zuko had made, sitting in silence. Zuko itches to say something but is unsure what. Sighing, defeated, he is about to call it a night himself when Katara puts a hand on his shoulder. He stiffens in surprise and she quickly pulls away. Zuko finds himself missing her cool touch. 

“Hey, can I show you something?” Katara whispers, her voice quiet to keep from waking the others.

Quizzical, Zuko nods and she grabs his hand, leading him out the door and onto the beach. A full moon rises above the ocean, it’s soft pale light marking stars in the sea and ripples in the sky. The dark water glimmers, beckoning their feet, but Zuko remains still, staring at the sand beneath his bare toes. 

Katara tugs, then lets go of his arm to untie her watertribe robe. 

Immediately, Zuko jumps back, face flaming as his heart beat erratically in his chest. He glues shut his eyes, trying to maintain some semblance of honor.  _ She’s just your friend, just your friend, your beautiful, kinda sexy friend…  _ Katara chuckles.

“Relax. I just don’t want to get the robe wet.”

Her calm voice cause him to peak an eye open. She’s in her wrappings like earlier today, but it feels far more intimate, especially since he realizes that those wrappings are her undergarments. The moonlight casts a halo across her form, wrappings glowing white against her dark skin like the contrast of the moon and ocean and he can’t help but let his gaze run up and down her muscular, beautiful body. Her skin looks soft to the touch and he stops the strong urge to touch her. Taking a more acceptable step back, he stares at her eyes, the blue orbs underneath heavy lashes. Her gaze almost looks heated for a moment before looking away, clearing her throat.

“You should take off your clothes too.”

It feels as if his face would stay red and hot for the night. He swallows dryly and Katara immediately backtracks, her own face blooming a blush.

“So they won’t get wet and heavy by the water! They can only hold you down when you swim.”

Zuko’s hazy daze triggered by so much exposed brown skin clears at the mention of swimming. He narrows his eyes.

Katara crosses her arms.

“Listen, I can’t show you without you getting in the water! You’ll like it, I promise.”

For some reason, her fiery spirit convinces him far more than any puppy-dog eyes she could give him. He untucks his tunic and gingerly takes the material off of his chest, throwing it down in a pile next to Katara’s clothes. Not wanting to meet her eyes, he takes off his pants too, leaving him in loose undershorts. His pale body glistens in the moonlight and the way Katara’s eyes lazily glide across it with a flush staining her skin makes him stand a little taller in pride. 

“Okay,” Zuko rasps. “What exactly do you want to show me?”

This breaks Katara out of her stupor. She steps out onto the water, but instead of sinking down, the sea water freezes at her feet. Zuko recognizes the trick from when they were seeking out the killer who had taken Katara’s mother’s life.  _ My how things have changed from then _ . Calming the waves down, she widens the ice plate and looks at him expectantly. Zuko steps carefully on it and then Katara’s arms whip around her as she begins to bend. Zuko’s hands fly out and clutch her hips to remain balanced. He ignores the biting coldness on his feet and keeps his body from trying to warm them to not melt the ice. Though wind whips his hair in his eyes, when he looks back behind him, he sees the beach steadily getting farther away. His heart beats anxiously. Never a fan of surprises or the unknown, Zuko just clutches Katara closer to him, molding the back of her body to his front. Breathing in her sweet, ocean scent, he feels at peace.

Suddenly, she slows and he finds himself out in the middle of the black ocean, the beach a lengthy distance from where they stand. Katara turns around in Zuko’s hold so that she’s facing him and she smiles.

“You don’t need to be afraid, Zuko. The ocean can be dangerous, but also very beautiful.”

Zuko scrunches his face in a scowl.

“I am not afraid.”

Katara nods, looking down at the ocean below, a secret smirk across her lips. The she looks up again, putting her hands on Zuko’s shoulders.

“Hold on,” Katara says mischievously and suddenly, with a twist of her wrist, the ice melts and Zuko and her plunge into the sea.

Zuko lets out a gasp in surprise and tightly closes his eyes as the cool water envelops him. Katara gives him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder and he hesitantly opens his eyes. First, he notices how her hair remains dry and how she laughs at his surprised expression and the salty, fresh smell of the area around him. Then, he realizes the bubble she has bent around their heads, kept up only by the twirl of her fingertips and the odd feeling of the rest of his body being enveloped by the cool ocean water. And finally, he is overcome with the beauty that surrounds him. Even in the pale light of the moon, the vast colors of the coral stand out like an underwater forest. Colorful fish dart in and out and around in groups. A turtle-seal brushes past his toes followed by smaller, baby turtle-seals. A lone whale-eel howls a sorrowful, yet beautiful song of loneliness. His breath leaves him as he sees a new world, a place full of beauty and wonders he cannot begin to comprehend. 

Soft breaths on his face remind him of the other occupant of the bubble and his eyes gaze at the other beauty before him: soft brown features, soft, yet fierce blue eyes, soft-inviting lips. Zuko is overwhelmed and hardly able to think with all that is bombarding his senses, his senses being bombarded with  _ her _ . Her soft skin wrapped around his to keep him upright, her sweet smell, her gentle breath, her blue eyes.  _ Katara _ . 

Without a thought, he presses his lips against hers and find them as soft as he would imagine. A moment of hesitance that feels like an eternity ends as she presses back gently and all too soon, the first kiss ends, followed by a second, more passionate kiss of pent up emotions. Their lips speak where their words fail. 

You nearly died. _I know_. I nearly lost you. _I would do it again_. Don’t leave me. _I won’t_.

His hands pull at her waist under the water, bringing her even closer. Her legs wraps around his hips Their lips battle dominance. She reaches her hands into his hair and suddenly, their bubble fills with water.

Both reach the surface sputtering and trying to blink the salt water from their eyes. The peaceful sound of waves is interrupted by their loud laughter. Still holding her tight, Zuko uses his free hand to move away the long strands of hair that plaster itself to her face, his legs treading the water. Katara returns the favor, gently running her hand through his long bangs before bringing his face to hers once more. Zuko finds that he finally sees the appeal of the ocean, especially when Katara is involved.

_ I guess the ocean isn’t so bad after all _ . 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
